Anne’s maid, Suen, sat on a bench near the castle gates, blowing into her gloved hands for warmth.

The Duke and Anne were now in the northern part of the Terossa Empire. The Duke, who had been granted this fief, was busy planning medical projects and winter relief efforts.

Anne had wanted to be with the Duke, so Suen had volunteered to come along, but she couldn’t seem to get used to the cold.

Maybe it was because of the cold.

When Anne received a letter from Young Master Anton saying he would spend his winter vacation here, she sighed with concern but couldn’t hide her joy.

However, two days had passed since the carriage was supposed to arrive.

If the carriage were nearby, it would have been noticed first from the watchtower and reported to the commander.

With an anxious expression, Suen could only sit on the bench for a long time.

But as time passed, neither the carriage nor anyone appeared at the main gate.

Finally, Suen sighed softly and stood up from the bench. Her body, having been outside in the cold for so long, had become slightly chilled.

As she carefully made her way down the slope, mindful not to slip, Suen kept debating whether or not to inform the young lady that there was still no sign of the signal flare.

‘What if Lady Anne becomes upset?’

Suen unknowingly clenched her hands tightly.

The Anne she knew would smile gently and say it was okay.

But at night, without realizing it, she would gaze out the window, lost in thought. And with more snow on the way, that would surely worry her. Suen didn’t want to see Anne like that.

So, Suen decided to delay her visit to Anne a little. Although Anne would eventually find out, Suen wished she could learn of it just a bit later.

When Suen arrived at the northern castle, she gathered some cleaning tools and headed to a secluded hallway. Dipping a rag into cold water, she began to wipe down the window sills.

The frost and dust had frozen together, making it hard to clean, but she worked diligently, intending to say she was too busy to report immediately.

“…Aren’t you Anne’s maid?”

“Oh, yes, Your Grace.”

“What are you doing here?”

Unfortunately, Evan, who happened to be passing by, noticed Suen and spoke to her.

His aide, Joseph, was also looking at her. As Anne’s closest maid, she shouldn’t have had the time to be cleaning here.

Moreover, the weather had recently turned sharply colder, and Ann had reduced the servants’ workload to prevent injuries from working in such conditions.

Suen fidgeted with the rag in her hand, unable to answer right away.

“Well, um.”

“…Anne must be waiting.”

It was getting late, and it was clear that Anton wouldn’t arrive today. Realizing this, Suen made a distressed face.

“Your Grace!”

“……”

“Today as well, today… Master Anton hasn’t arrived. If the young lady finds out, she’ll surely be…!”

Seeing Anne’s maid hesitating with a troubled expression, Evan tilted his head. It was indeed a concerning situation, but being delayed by two days was not uncommon.

“Really? If Lady Ann finds out, that would be a big deal.”

But before Evan could speak, Joseph, looking serious, reacted with exaggerated concern.

Evan was a bit taken aback.

His aides, the servants who had come all the way to the north from the capital’s mansion, and even the northern castle’s staff all treated Anne as if she were delicate porcelain, which stirred a strange sense of jealousy in him.

Anne deserved to be loved by everyone, but he harbored a childish desire to be the only one who understood her charm.

“Due to the weather, the exact time of arrival in the northern region is uncertain. Make sure to manage your expressions so as not to worry Anne, and tell her that it’s only been two days, so there’s no need for excessive concern. Oh, wait. I should go myself.”

Suen quickly and tactfully replied.

“The young lady will understand that you’re busy.”

Evan bit his lip as he thought. If he didn’t see her often because of his busy schedule, it wouldn’t be any different from before.

If only he were Anne’s servant. Evan looked at Suen with envy, feeling a childish, yet somewhat dark, emotion rising within him.

‘It’s always just me who’s anxious.’

“Tell Anne that I must see her tonight.”

* * *

Working in the study far from the bedroom, Anne curiously looked at the door. Suen, who was always present, hadn’t come to see her today.

There was so much she wanted to ask….

She expected a delay, but the increasingly cold weather outside made her even more worried.

“…My Lady?”

After staring out the window for a moment, Anne greeted Suen with a slightly surprised expression.

“Suen, why is your nose so red? You weren’t outside, were you?”

Ann hurriedly got up and took Suen’s hand. Startled by the cold she felt in her hand, she led Suen closer to the fireplace.

“You know…”

“Yes?”

“The report I was supposed to give.”

Anne, who had been focused only on Suen’s cold skin, asked with a gasp.

“The carriage?”

“It hasn’t arrived yet. But they say the estimated arrival time in the north is usually not accurate, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, I understand. But, where have you been?”

Suen hesitated to answer that question.

Although the Duke had told her not to worry and to report to Ann, she had gone back up the hill out of an unnecessary concern, wondering, ‘What if she gets anxious?’

Suen awkwardly changed the subject.

“Actually, I saw snow for the first time, so I got a bit distracted, just watching the snow accumulate on the ground. You can scold me if you want.”

“Scold you? After you followed me all the way to this cold northern region to take care of me?”

“But, My Lady, I haven’t even been by your side all day….”

Anne hugged Suen. Though younger, Suen was a reliable and strong-willed girl. Anne felt guilty that she couldn’t be the strong pillar Suen needed, instead of always leaning on her.

“Don’t worry, and if there’s ever anything you want to do, just say so. Okay?”

“Yes!”

Anne seated Suen on the sofa in front of the crackling fireplace and then returned to her desk.

The responsibility for the northern region’s support measures was Evan’s, while Anne was in charge of the people’s health.

What needed immediate attention were the pregnant women. They needed a sufficient intake of protein and a variety of vegetables to ensure they received enough nutrients, but obtaining such supplies in the harsh northern winter was extremely difficult.

Another matter was the cooperation with Howard.

The letter she received from Prince Howard before leaving Vails might have seemed like a simple wish for her well-being, but it was clearly intended to promote cooperation between their countries.

Especially this part:

After consulting with the Duke, we’ve decided to expand the medical facilities that were mostly destroyed during the war. The dramatic increase in drug addiction after the war has become a serious problem.

To address this, our two nations will conduct joint research. I would like you to take charge of this research. Once post-war recovery has progressed, the two nations plan to collaborate in training many medical professionals.

It seems we will need your help again then, and I believe you will accept it, won’t you?

Accepting this proposal was a given.

It was the most effective way to tackle three challenges: research on drug addiction, training medical professionals, and expanding public healthcare.

In particular, the training of medical professionals was an area where the different knowledge from the two countries could be combined to create an optimal solution.

Anne looked at her desk with a sense of pride.

On it were the documents she had received from Prince Howard and those she was about to send back, neatly organized. These documents would be distributed to all medical institutions as teaching materials, outlining the properties of various drugs.

Unable to suppress her satisfaction, Anne covered her mouth with her hand, laughing silently.

That’s when it happened.

“…My Lady, are you crying?”

“Huh?”

“You’re upset, aren’t you?”

“About what?”

“You don’t need to hide it from me. The Duke said you’d be fine, but still… it’s only natural that you’re worried about Master Anton.”

“What?”

It wasn’t entirely wrong, but just now, she had only covered her mouth to stifle an overly giddy laugh. She tried to explain quickly, but Suen was faster.

“How long are you going to keep working? Do you think working more will lessen your worries? It’ll only make them grow!”

“Wait a minute, Suen.”

“Anyway, the Duke said he wanted to see you tonight, so have a good time with him and just close your eyes and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll go out early tomorrow morning to check for any news!”

Ann had no idea where to start explaining. It seemed Suen had completely misunderstood….

“Suen, you don’t have to go outside in the cold….”

“Don’t worry about that!”

Ann couldn’t even finish her sentence as Suen snapped back at her in a scolding tone.

“Suen, but….”

“I have to get up early tomorrow, so I’m going to bed now. My Lady, make sure you go to your bedroom and get a good rest too!”

“…Oh? Oh. Okay, I will.”

Suen, satisfied with Anne’s answer, left the room with a much more relaxed expression.

Left alone in the study, Anne blushed and muttered to herself.

“She’s completely misunderstood.”TL NOTE: For more chapters of it’s side story visit dusk blossoms .